Curse of the Daleks

An audio adaptation of the Doctor Who stageplay from the 1960s. The space ship Starfinder is taking two dangerous criminals for trial on Earth but needs to make an emergency landing on the planet of the Daleks – Skaro! Are the Daleks really defeated or are they about to be awakened?

1 Comment

Styre
on May 7, 2016 at 9:06 PM

CURSE OF THE DALEKS

If “Seven Keys to Doomsday” is a historical document of Doctor Who, the third and final stageplay release from Big Finish, David Whitaker and Terry Nation’s “Curse of the Daleks,” is a stone tablet with cave drawings. The Daleks feature heavily, of course, but much like the TV story “Mission to the Unknown,” neither the Doctor nor any other regular characters make an appearance. This play was written to capitalize on the explosive popularity of the Daleks rather than the television show itself. Based on the script, it seems this was a very visual production — as an audio production, it’s not bad, but it’s sadly as uninteresting as its successors.

As with “Seven Keys to Doomsday,” I don’t have much to say about “Curse of the Daleks.” Michael Praed is certainly the commanding figure — his Ladiver is an enigmatic character that keeps the listener guessing throughout the story, and his performance is suitably intense. Beyond him, though, the cast is mostly forgettable, the characters mostly cliched; Nick Wilton’s Rocket is probably the most memorable, and only then for going over the top. It’s been pointed out elsewhere, but the most interesting element of this play is how it prefigures later Doctor Who stories: the Daleks regaining power and pretending to be subservient in the interim is lifted almost directly for “The Power of the Daleks,” and the Daleks rejecting outside control is seen both in “Evil” and “Genesis.” Ultimately, though, “Curse of the Daleks” is an exceedingly protracted whodunnit, and the answer, while not entirely predictable, takes far too long to come to light. The script is also hilariously, blatantly sexist, but considering the authors and the time it was written, this isn’t as bothersome as it would be today.

The production front, handled entirely by Nicholas Briggs, does an admirable job of adapting the play to audio. Briggs opted to convert the more visual scenes into narration — which he also voices — and it’s quite effective, building atmosphere and revealing background action in a pacy, entertaining manner. It almost goes without saying at this point that the Dalek voices are similarly excellent. Overall, “Curse of the Daleks,” much like “Seven Keys to Doomsday,” is best when taken as a fascinating glimpse into Doctor Who history. You can detect the seeds of later stories, hear how the show was viewed in 1965, and enjoy a solid if unimpressive piece of 1960s pulp drama. On this basis, “Curse of the Daleks” is recommended.

6/10

Overall, the Stageplays trilogy from Big Finish must be deemed a success. While none of the scripts are themselves impressive, the opportunity to hear these exceptionally rare pieces of Doctor Who history should not be overlooked.